Vulpine Summer

Esme felt blinded as she left the large smithy. The sun was searing above in a cloudless sky, splashing light on everything it could. The heat she felt as she passed by the bellows and fires didn’t change. It was just as hot out here as it was surrounded by flames. It beat Absolon in a few seconds and he decided to latch onto her head and turn see-through, despite her encouragements to stay awake.

She glanced behind her where Badger stood, nodding subtly and mouthing good luck. She smiled and waggled her fingers lightly in return before Lithgow pulled her into the crowd.

The city of Hornfel wasn’t quite like Lakeside. White stone and pale bricks were used to build most of the building there but here the bricks were dark and the houses thin and tall with deep slopping roofs and chimneys so tall that she swore they bordered on impractical. She quickly realised she was in the more run-down part of the city by the people she walked passed. Scraggily dressed, talking loudly and having stubborn arguments over prices with shopkeeps, Esme felt a little out of place. People kept giving her funny looks and giving her a wide berth. It made her flush deeply and panic that she was being recognised and the police were going to come tearing around the corner. That was until she realised no one was looking at her. They were looking at Lithgow. It made her feel a little silly. Of course they were looking at Lithgow. Even if he had dressed down, he’d still stick out like a sore thumb. His face was instantly recognisable and no civilian in their right mind wouldn’t know what their Grand Wizard would look like.

‘I thought about coming in disguise but I felt that would be too suspicious if it was discovered.’ Lithgow murmured beside me as he steered me along. ‘My car is a few roads away though.’

I bobbed my head and kept close as we made our way through the crowd that parted like the sea before us until I eventually spotted what I assumed was Lithgow’s car. Just like Lithgow, it stuck out like a sore thumb. It was clearly expensive, an oil-car make and pained in a rare vibrant red. A drive stood outside, puffing on a cigarette until he saw. After quickly stamping it out on the cobble road, he moved to a side door and held it open.

The drive smiled and bobbed his head as we approached and Lithgow gestured for her to enter first. She glanced inside, inhaling the familiar scent of expensive leather and oil. Cassandra would often take her out in cars similar to this, with a driver doing all the work. It felt like a life-time ago that she’d sat in one, talking whatever ball or party that was coming up and how Cassandra was going to find my future husband.

Fox’s face flashed in she eyes, making my heart stutter and ache. She shook her head, pushing away the thought of Fox, and made to enter the car. But just as her eyes swept the street, a face she dreaded popped into existence.

Amongst the sea of grubby and haggard faces was Sodden. His blind eyes staring at nothing but his steps were certain as he drew closer and closer with whistle in hand.

Lithgow noticed her hesitation and gripped her shoulder. ‘Esme?’

‘Sodden. A witch. He’s been chasing myself and Fox for weeks.’ She hissed and then she began to panic. Fox. Fox didn’t know. ‘I need to tell Fox.’

She tried to make a break for it but Lithgow held her firmly in place. ‘He’s safer without you around and you’re safe with me.’ Lithgow pointed out and scowled at the approaching Sodden. ‘Now, get in the car, lass, before I start a fight.’

Esme glanced wildly between Lithgow and Sodden and realised quickly he was right. Sodden was preparing to fight and Lithgow wasn’t going to just hand me over. She ducked inside, slid across the leather and fastened her seatbelt. She sat there, heart in mouth and constantly told herself she wasn’t abandoning Fox, as Lithgow entered and the driver started up the car.

Swiftly they were away, car swerving down the road and zooming passed Sodden. Esme couldn’t help but look through the back window and watched the Witch grow smaller and smaller.

‘He’ll find me again.’

‘And he’ll be arrested. You’ll be safe in my Tower.’ Lithgow smiled warmly and grasped her shoulder to gently push her back into her seat. ‘He won’t hurt you. I won’t let him.’

It was odd. While Lithgow was both magically and politically powerful, she didn’t feel as reassured when Fox said it. She didn’t feel that blanket of safety swamping over her, that warmth in her stomach and fluttering in her chest. She felt safer but not like the whole world couldn’t touch her.

Esme toyed Absolon’s feet as she watched the world go by. She didn’t really take it, barely noticing how the houses grew fatter, taller and painted various whites and creams, as she was brought deeper into the richer part of the city. She didn’t really look at the busy streets filled with increasingly richly dressed civilians, the shops selling various expensive high-street brands nor how the cars became more grandeur with fewer horses. She couldn’t stop thinking about Fox. He kept popping up into her head and she kept replaying memories of him, how he firm his grip was when holding her hand, how comforting he was, how frustrating.

So when the car stopped and Lithgow shook her shoulder gently to tell her they had arrived at the Granite Tower, she was surprised. Gripping Absolon, she pulled herself out of the car and found herself within a large courtyard.

She glanced about, instantly comparing it to the Ivory Tower. There were resemblances. The Granite Tower was walled in by a massive circular construct, separating the magicless from the magical. Private houses, apartment complexes, student housing, shops, schools and medical facilities were built like a small village at the Tower’s base, filled with Wizards going about their daily business. The Tower itself was quite different though. The Ivory was built out of what brick and gleamed so brightly in the summer sun it hurt to look at. The Granite was a steel grey colour, drab and dark, and grew from the heart of an ancient fort.

‘Come, Esme.’ Lithgow said gently, ushering her up the massive black steps.

She remained deathly quiet, her mind for once actually focusing on what was right in front of her. The Fort wasn’t quite a fort anymore. It had long be refurbished with fine flooring and furnishing and decorated with glamorous painting and art. The line of receptionists all bowed at the sight of Lithgow and he took her deeper into the complex of corridors, passing a large library and several small offices. She noticed how the Wizards around her gave her odd looks, curious as to who she was but not figuring out she was Esme Dupont. She was glad she still didn’t look like who she was.

Eventually she was brought through a glass corridor and into the heart of the Tower itself. There, the familiar sight of the lift system was revealed to her. It was much like her Ivory’s but steel in appearance. Lithgow shuffled her inside, where a young boy bobbed his head and commanded the lift to go up. The shutters rattled closed and soared upwards, zooming passed floors where Wizards waited impatiently.

Eventually it came to a slow, shuddering stop at the top.

Esme was ushered out once again and Lithgow guided her down the long corridor that branched off into several others. Signs indicating where the other Councilmen’s offices and paintings of previous Grand Wizards littered the walls. Instead of the Ivory Tower’s numerous pottered plants and soft carpet through, the floors were made of dark varnished wood and decorated by the odd bronze statue.

‘Good morning, Grand Wizard.’ An old woman, who Esme assumed was the receptionist by the angry glasses and her place at the deskt just before Lithgow’s office.

‘I want no one in today.’ Lithgow said firmly as he encouraged me to enter the office. ‘All meetings are cancelled.’

‘But sir, you’ve got several appointments about the finances of the magical experimentations department and one with Grand Adjutent Suellen Denver.’ She protested.

‘Keep Denver but rearrange it in a more public place. I won’t have her here anymore.’

‘But why, sir? I’ll be an affront if you don’t see her within your office.’

Lithgow smiled brightly and shoved me inside. ‘My niece is here. Now, do as I’ve asked.’

The receptionist had no time to splutter words at being told that the dreaded Esme Dupont was within the Tower as Lithgow had slammed the door and locked it.

‘Right, let’s get you settled.’ He said, grinning through his thick beard, and made for the stairs hidden behind a large oak door.

Esme only briefly glanced about his office, once against noting the drab tones of grey, black and dark browns, before she followed him up the spiral staircase with Absolon singing in her arms. With every step, she’d get a memory of the Ivory Tower and how she had climbed similar steps for years. For some reason, it made her miss home. It made her miss her Aunt.

‘Here we go, Esme.’ Lithgow announced as he burst into his apartments.

Esme shuffled inside, letting go of Absolon when he wriggled himself free to drift about and sing. A huge expensive lounge met her, complete with radio, turntable, grand piano, several sets of sofas and cabinets filled with various books and statues. Several doors broke up the carefully painted walls and the smell of food drifted out from what she assumed was the kitchen. It was cooler up here, probably because the massive balcony doors were wide open.

She stiffened suddenly. The balcony. The sofa. Her mind pulled up the memory of her aunt’s horrific death, how helpless Esme had been and how she had flung herself from the balcony to escape Denver’s clutches.

‘Esme?’ Lithgow called loudly, gripping her shoulder and snapping her out of the nightmare.

She smiled thinly. ‘Yes?’

He frowned but chose not to press. ‘Rest here today. I need to meet up with Denver if I’m to give you a fair trial so you will be alone, but you will be safe. No one can enter these apartments without my say so.’ Lithgow promised. ‘First, we’ll eat.’

Esme warmed to that idea and soon settled a little. She spoke with her uncle over lunch, talking about her experiences and what was going to happen in the next few days. But despite her enjoyment of seeing her uncle once again, her mind kept drifting away, being pulled to Fox. She wondered if he was okay, whether or not he was going to leave town soon or wait, she wondered if he was safe from Sodden. Lithgow noticed her absentmindedness and eventually smiled as they drank tea; his question once against unanswered as she stared absently at the sky beyond the large glass doors.

‘Are you worried about your friend?’

Instantly her heart was in her mouth and she blushed madly. ‘No, no I’m not.’

‘I can send someone to check on him and help him go home.’

She said nothing for a moment as her heart tightened. She didn’t want that. She didn’t want Fox to get further and further away, but that was just selfish of her. He’d risked his life to get her here, regardless of blackmail, so she owed it to him to make sure he had a swift return.

‘Yes, that’ll be kind of you.’ Esme said, trying her best to smile but fully aware it was just coming out as a grimace.

Lithgow smiled gently. ‘I will make sure he gets home safely, Esme, and you yourself can check on him once this mess has been cleaned up. I will take you to him personally.’

That cheered her up and untied the tight knot in her chest. The prospect of seeing him again, even if it was just to thank him as herself, not Vic, made her feel less miserable.

‘Now, I need to go in a few moments, but first, I need to do something for you.’ He rose to step across the room and grab his Grimoire from its display case. He snapped it open and grinned. ‘I have your curse to break.’

Esme was instantly on her feet in excitement and clutched her hands to her chest. ‘Truly?’

‘Yes, truly, and I’ll break the glamour for you as well. When you go to trial, you are to be you and bare your truths.’ He smiled as the pages turned by themselves in a flurry of activity.

Esme grinned and hurried over to him, standing tall as he began to summon an anti-curse. Her face was pink with joy as she was swamped by the spell’s light. It seeped into her skin, warming her as slowly it began to unravel the fox-curse she had be plagued with for so long. The curse that had caused such trouble and made her hurt Fox.

Before long, she was Esme Dupont again, no longer the convict on the run, cursed to turn into a fox. Her natural hair was back, as black and sharply cut as always, her golden eyes bright with relief and her body relaxing for the first time in weeks.

Lithgow snapped his grimoire shut and pet her silky black hair. ‘That’s the niece I know. The eyes of Cassandra and your mother have returned.’ He said warmly and tucked his grimoire under his arm. ‘Now, I am going to go to this bloody council meeting about Denver and her desire to find you. I’ll declare I have you in custody and that your truth is very different to Denver’s. I will ask for a trial of truths, which means yours will be tested. It’ll then be over and Denver’s murder and plotting will come to light.’

The way Lithgow explained it just made it all sound so easy. As if this really trial was already over.

She smiled up at him. ‘I really hope so.’

‘It will be so, not hope. No one can argue a truth and, if Denver has changed hers, which I suspect, we shall go to Spirits. They can see through anything, so have some confidence in me.’ His aged eyes warmed. ‘It’ll be over soon. Just sit tight and don’t answer the door. You’ll be safe up here.’

Esme wanted to point out that Cassandra was but was killed in a horrific manner but refrained. That was a negative thought. She was where she had sought to be, in the protection of Lithgow, and he was doing everything in his power to show the truth. That she wasn’t a murderer.

Instead Esme embraced him, wrapping her arms around him and gripping him tightly, just like she had always done as a child. He felt so comforting and warm, making her belief in him strengthen. He was going to set her free. She just knew he was.

‘Thank you so much, Lithgow. I knew coming here was the best decision.’

He laughed deeply and pat her head lightly. ‘I’ll be back soon.’ He promised.

Esme bowed her head and, pink faced, waved her uncle off. The moment the door shut, doubt began to settle. She began to think about what happens if Lithgow’s plan was derailed. What would she do? Who would she turn to? Would it finally unseat Lithgow as the Granite Tower’s Grand Wizard?

She slapped her face hard and rubbed her cheeks. ‘No, stop thinking that. Lithgow will fix this and then I can return to Lakeside. I can find Fox again and see him.’

She blushed softly at how much she liked that thought and decided that was exactly what she was going to do. She wasn’t going to stay here and live under Lithgow’s wing. She’ll do what she promised Cassandra; find a place of her own in Lakeside and a job. She’d stand up as an independent adult and maybe, once she found him, see if Fox was willing to continue their friendship. She just hoped he’d want to.

Esme’s thoughts spiralled from there, unconsciously thinking about where their relationship would go if Fox did want to continue their friendship. Courting? Marriage? Children? Vibrantly red but elated for the first time for days, Esme lay on the sofa, rambling about her thoughts out loud to Absolon, completely unaware of the danger making its way up the Tower to her.